February 4 is World Cancer Day, and in recognition of this, Tempo has decided 24/7 to highlight several well-known women who have defeated the disease. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. After lung cancer, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. It is the most common form of cancer in men and women.
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of 29 famous women who have survived their battle with breast cancer. We looked at sources like the National Breast Cancer Foundation to compile our list, which includes women who have been diagnosed at different ages and from different occupations. We only included women who had completed the treatment and are now cancer free.
Some of the women on this list have died, although they do not suffer from breast cancer. Shirley Temple Black, Happy Rockefeller and Betty Ford all go down in history as women who became aware of the disease during the 1970s, a time when such ailments were not discussed in public. All three women defeated breast cancer and led a long life.
Women with an immediate family member, such as a mother, sister or even a daughter, with a history of breast cancer are at a much greater risk of developing cancer themselves – about twice as likely – as women without such a history. It is important for women to look at hereditary breast cancer and other cancers. Here are some other health tips that every woman should know.